Women's Volleyball

Todd Hay was named head volleyball coach for the Black and Gold on March 21, 2017 and it did not take long for his presence to be felt.

During his tenure in the Electric City, Hay has twice been named the South Atlantic Conference Coach of the Year (2017 and 2021, while leading the Trojans to the SAC Tournament each season and making four appearances in the tournament semifinals and two appearances in the championship matchup in the last three years. During that timeframe, the Black and Gold have captured two regular-season SAC Championships (2017 and 2021).

The Trojans have made an appearance in each NCAA Tournament since 2017, including three regional semifinal appearances. Hay has mentored six All-America honorees, 11 All-Region honorees, 27 All-SAC honorees and one conference player of the year.

AU players have has garnered Southeast Region All-Tournament accolades six times since 2017, while capturing SAC All-Tournament recognition on eight occasions.

Off the court, Trojans have collected Academic All-America honors twice and have earned academic all-district recognition 11 times. Four Trojans have been named as the recipient of the SAC Elite 20/23 award, with Lindsay McCurley and Emily Conlin each garnering SAC Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors, with Conlin going on to be named the Academic All-America Team Member of the Year.

The 2022 campaign saw the Black and Gold become the 11th team in school history to post at least 21 victories in a single season and saw four players earn All-South Atlantic Conference honors (Noelle Knutsen, Madison Roy, Jaelyn Grimm and Liliana Kinder). The Trojans concluded the regular season with a third-place finish in the South Atlantic Conference's Piedmont Division and made their 11th consecutive trip and their 12th overall appearance in the conference tournament before falling in the semifinals to eventual champion Wingate. AU claimed the No. 4 seed in the NCAA's Southeast Regional in its fifth straight - and eighth oveall appearance in the NCAA Tournament.

At the conclusion of the 2022 season, Lindsay McCurley was named the SAC Volleyball Scholar-Athlete of the Year after earlier being named the SAC Elite 23 Awared winner. Noelle Knutsen, Madison Roy, Jaelyn Grimm and Liliana Kinder were named All-conference, with Rylie sargent capturing All-Tournament honors and Knutsen going on to garner All-region and All-America accolades.  

Over the previous five full seasons, the Trojans have averaged more than 24 victories after posting a 21-8 overall mark, including a 13-5 South Atlantic Conference record in 2022. 

In 2021, the Trojans became the ninth team in program history to post at least 22 victories in a single season and saw four players earn All-South Atlantic Conference honors at the conclusion of the regular season (Madison Roy, Regan Duty, Noelle Knutsen and Jaelyn Grimm). The Trojans wrapped up the season with a share of the SAC Regular Season Championship – its second title in five seasons - and finished as runners-up to Lenoir-Rhyne in the SAC Tournament.

Anderson wrapped up the 2021 campaign by winning 11 of its last 13 decisions and 16 of its last 19 outings, while capturing a share of the league’s regular-season title and earning the program's fourth straight appearance - and its seventh overall appearance - in the NCAA Tournament.

The Trojans reached the South Atlantic Conference Tournament for the tenth consecutive season in 2021 and hosted the NCAA Southeast Region Championship for the first time in program history as the No. 2 seed.

Both Madison Roy and Regan Duty earned Honorable Mention All-America honors after capturing AVCA All-Region accolades, with Roy and Knutsen being named to the NCAA Southeast Region All-Tournament Team. Knutsen also garnered all-region honors, with Meghan DeVaux and Sadie Kluner each garnering a spot on the SAC All-Tournament Team.

Off the court, the Trojans have earned the AVCA/USMC Team Academic award during each of his six seasons at AU.

Alexandra Petrilli was named as the league's 2021 Elite 20 award winner, while Meghan DeVaux, Lindsay McCurley and Sadie Kluner each captured Academic All-District recognition.

In his first season at the helm of the program, Hay led the Trojans to their first-ever South Atlantic Conference Regular-Season Championship, while guiding AU to a program-best 28 victories and a school-record 22-match win streak along the way.

Entering the 2020 campaign - and prior to the COVID-shortened 2021 spring season, the Trojans had averaged 26 victories over the prior three seasons and posted the most successful three-year span in school history after posting a 22-8 overall mark, including a 17-5 South Atlantic Conference record in 2019.

Hay, who was named SAC Coach of the Year following the spring, 2021 campaign for the second time during his four-year tenure at the helm of the program, guided the Trojans through the pandemic challenges of the 2021 spring season, with AU notching a 9-3 overall record and finishing second in the SAC standings. The Trojans also advanced to the finals of the SAC tournament for the third time since joining the league in 2010. Maya Learmonth, Madison Roy, Regan Duty and Tabitha Wheeler all earned all-conference honors, with Wheeler also capturing Freshman of the Year accolades. Roy was also named the Sports Import D-II National Player of the Week in mid-March, with Lindsay McCurley and Meghan DeVaux garnering CoSIDA Academic All-Distict honors, as well.

For his efforts in guiding the Trojans to their fourth overall appearance in the NCAA Tournament in 2017, Hay was named South Atlantic Conference Coach of the Year. Under his tutelage, setter Emily Conlin earned All-Conference, All-Region and All-America honors. Additionally, Rachel Burts and Marissa Mitter earned All-SAC and All-Region accolades, while Serena Jackson garnered All-Conference honors.

As an at-large selection to the 2017 NCAA Southeast Regional, the Trojans shut out Queens in the opening round for their second NCAA Tournament victory in program history, then nearly rallied from a two-set deficit before succumbing to top-seeded and host Flagler in their bid to reach the regional finals for the first time in school history.

If his inaugural campaign with the Trojans wasn’t impressive enough, Hay followed up with an equally impressive 2018 season by again guiding AU to the NCAA Southeast Region Tournament - its second straight appearance and fifth overall, despite losing one of the league’s leading outside hitters to an injury midway through the season.

Hay’s Trojans equaled the program’s most wins in a single season in program history and saw a then-unparalleled five players earn All-South Atlantic Conference honors at the conclusion of the regular season, while advancing to the regional semifinals to the second consecutive year and falling just shy of reaching the NCAA's Sweet 16 for the first time in program history.

Conlin again captured All-Conference honors, All-Region and All-America honors, with Regan Duty, Hailee Wilhelm, Jayln Knight and Liliana Kinder each earning All-SAC recognition. Off the court, Conlin claimed Academic All-America accolades for the second consecutive year.

Under Hay’s tutelage during the 2019 season, Conlin earned Honorable Mention All-America accolades for the third consecutive year and was named the 2019 SAC Player of the Year after being named SAC Specialist of the Week on five occasions. Conlin and Wilhelm were named All-Region, with a school-record six players garnering All-Conference accolades (Conlin, Wilhelm, Regan Duty, Maya Learmonth, Noelle Knutsen, Lindsay McCurley).

Off the court, Conlin captured First-Team Academic All-America honors for the third straight year and was voted the 2019 South Atlantic Conference Volleyball Scholar-Athlete of the Year, while also being named AU’s Co-Female Athlete of the Year for the second consecutive season.

She collected the 2019 SAC Volleyball Elite 20 Award and was the recipient of the Academic All-America® Team Member of the Year award for NCAA Division II volleyball. Former standout Hannah Worsham was among three student-athletes chosen to represent the South Atlantic Conference at the 2020 NCAA Leadership Forum.

Hay - the dean of coaches in the SAC - has 215 career conference victories, which places him third all-time in the SAC record books and tops among active coaches in the league and his .661 winning percentage among coaches with at least four years in the SAC after five seasons stands fourth all-time in the league. He captured his 300th career coaching victory with the Trojans’ sweep of UVA Wise in the 2019 regular-season finale.

Prior to arriving in the Electric City, Hay served five seasons at the helm of the Newberry volleyball program. He was named Newberry's head coach prior to the 2012 campaign after six seasons as the assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at NCAA Division I University of Central Arkansas.

He posted an overall 84-72 mark at Newberry, while leading the Scarlet and Grey to four appearances in the South Atlantic Conference Tournament, including three appearances in the semifinals, and a pair of appearances in the NCAA Southeast Regional Tournament.

During his six seasons on the sidelines in Conway, Ark., Hay helped lead the Sugar Bears to an overall 139-59 record, with two Southland Conference championships and four division championships. He was also an instructor in the Kinesiology/Physical Education department at UCA.

Prior to UCA, Hay was at Trinity Christian High School in Lubbock, Texas, where he served as head volleyball coach from 1998 to 2005. During his tenure at Trinity Christian, Hay compiled a record of 254-56 in eight seasons. He was named District Coach of the Year four times and guided Trinity to three TAPPS 4A state titles, including back-to-back championships in 2004 and 2005.

In 2004, Hay led Trinity Christian to a 40-4 record and followed up with a 41-7 mark in 2005. TCHS was 31-1 in 1999 and won their first ever state title. Hay guided Trinity to the state semi-finals on two other occasions.

In addition to coaching volleyball, Hay was a history teacher at Trinity Christian for 13 years and served as the junior high volleyball coach from 1994-96, head junior high basketball coach from 1993-2005, assistant track coach and assistant golf coach. He was also Trinity Christian's assistant high school basketball coach when they won the 4A Championship in 1998-99.

During Hay's first season (2012) at the helm of the Newberry program, the Wolves posted a 19-15 overall record and 10-8 mark in South Atlantic Conference play. Newberry advanced to the semifinals of both the conference tournament, and also the NCAA Southeast Regional Tournament. The Wolves' victory in the regional quarterfinals over No. 3-seed Flagler was the first win by a South Carolina school in the NCAA Division II Tournament and was the first NCAA win in program history. Standout Samantha Parrish was named first team All-SAC and also received second team All-Southeast Region from DAKTRONICS.

In his second campaign with the Wolves, Newberry reached the NCAA Southeast Regional Tournament for the third time overall and second straight under Hay's leadership. Hay guided Newberry to an 18-13 overall record and 12-10 mark in South Atlantic Conference play. During the 2013 season Hay saw Parrish capture Second Team All-SAC honors, while Jessica King picked up an honorable mention nod and Logan Hayward received All-Freshman recognition. Parrish was honored off the court during the 2013 season as she was named CoSIDA/Capital One Second Team Academic All-America.

Hay arrived in the Electric City following a 2016 campaign that saw the Wolves post an eight-match win streak and win 11 of their final 13 matches en route to a 20-12 overall mark.

Newberry earned a No. 3 seed in the SAC Championship and advanced to the semifinals for the third time in five seasons with a sweep of sixth-seeded Catawba before falling to No. 6 seeded Lincoln Memorial in five sets. Under Hay's tutelage, senior Logan Hayward was named First Team All-South Atlantic Conference, while senior Madison Darby-McClure was named Second Team All-SAC. Sophomore Maggie Marsh was named Honorable Mention and Toni-Anne Whitlow earned a spot on the All-Freshman Team.

Darby-McClure went on to capture SAC Volleyball Scholar-Athlete honors after becoming the third volleyball Academic All-America honoree in school history.

Hay was named the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal City Coach of the Year twice, Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools 4A Coach of the Year and KJAK 92.7 Coach of the Year. He has coached 12 prep All-State players and six District MVP winners during his career.

Hay earned his bachelor's in education with a minor in physical education from the University of Hawaii at Manoa in 1992.

Hay and his wife Gemma have a son, Jeffrey.

Hay Year-by-Year: